WHALE-FISHERY. 17^ 



of water equal in weight to about 154 atmospheres, 

 the pressure on the animal must be equal to 211,200 

 tons.* This is a degree of pressure of which we 

 can have but an imperfect conception. It may 

 assist our comprehension, however, to be informed, 

 that it exceeds in weight sixty of the largest ships 

 of the British navy when manned, provisioned, and 

 fitted for a six months cruise. 



Every boat fast to a living whale carries a flag, 

 and the ship to which such boats belong, also wears 

 a flag, until the whale is either killed or makes its 

 escape. These signals serve to indicate to sur- 

 rounding ships the exclusive title of the u fast ship," 

 to the entangled whale, and to prevent their inter- 

 ference, excepting in the way of assistance, in the 

 capture. 



A very natural inquiry connected with this sub- 

 ject, is, what is the length of time requisite for cap- 



* From experiments made with sea-water taken up near 

 Spitzbergen, I find that 35 cubical feet weigh a ton. 

 Now supposing a whale to descend to the depth of 800 

 fathoms or 4800 feet, which, I believe, is not uncommon, 

 we have only to divide 4800 feet, the length of the column 

 of water pressing upon the whale, by 35 feet, the length of a 

 column of sea-water a foot square, weighing a ton, the quo- 

 tient 137 1-7, shows the pressure per square foot upon the. 

 whale, in tons; which multiplied by 1540, the number of 

 square feet of surface exposed by the animal, affords a pro- 

 duct of 211,200 tons, besides the usual pressure of the at- 

 mosphere. 



